1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric wire excess length absorbing device to absorb a slack of an electric wire by winding the electric wire on a reel and a sliding door-use power feeding apparatus, of a motor vehicle, using the electric wire excess length absorbing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric wire excess length absorbing device shown in FIG. 42 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-264136) has been suggested as one of the electric wire excess length absorbing device which releases or retracts an electric wire according to an opening-and-closing of a sliding door of a one-box car or the like.
This electric wire excess length absorbing device 71 has a pair of link arms 72, a slider 73 connected to an end of one of the link arms 72, and a guide rail 74 to which an end of the other of the link arms 72 is connected and with which the slider 73 slidably engages.
The electric wire excess length absorbing device 71 is arranged on a sliding door 75. The guide rail 74 is horizontally fixed to a door panel 76 made of metal. The pair of link arms 72 is openable-and-closable between the door panel 76 and a door trim (not shown) made of synthetic resin.
A wiring harness (electric wires) 77 is arranged along the pair of link arms 72 and fixed to the slider 73. One end of the wiring harness 77 curves large from the slider 73 to a step portion 79 of a vehicle body 78 and is connected to a wiring harness 80 on a vehicle body side by means of a connector. The other end of the wiring harness 77 is arranged on the sliding door 75 from the end of the link arms 72 and connected to the auxiliaries such as electric appliances equipped on the sliding door.
The power feeding from the vehicle body side (the battery side) to the auxiliaries on the sliding door is done by this sliding door-use power feeding apparatus. That is, the power current or the signal current is supplied to the auxiliaries regardless of the opening-and-closing of the sliding door 75. The auxiliaries include a powerwindow motor, a door lock unit, a switch unit or an automatic door opening-and-closing unit for example.
While the sliding door 75 is being closed by forwardly sliding it in the arrow G1 direction, the pair of link arms 72 opens, and the slider 73 moves toward the rear of the guide rail 74. On the contrary, while the sliding door 75 is being opened, the pair of link arms 72 closes, and the slider 73 moves toward the front of the guide rail 74.
With respect to the above prior art""s electric wire excess length absorbing device 71, however, the long guide rail 74 and the pair of link arms 72 make the structure and the weight large. Therefore, the arrangement of parts inside the sliding door is limited in order to prevent the interference of the link arms 72 with the parts. The length of the guide rail 74 or the link arms 72 often has to be changed according to the type of a motor vehicle, which requires a lot of man-hours for the design and manufacturing, thereby increasing the cost.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire excess length absorbing device, which is simple and compact, has a versatility, and can smoothly securely absorb a slack of an electric wire, and a sliding door-use power feeding apparatus using the above electric wire excess length absorbing device.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, an electric wire excess length absorbing device, comprising: a casing having an electric wire leading-out portion; a reel pivotably provided in the casing for winding an electric wire; and an energizing member to energize the reel in a direction of winding the electric wire, wherein the casing is pivotably supported by an installing portion.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a rotary shaft is provided on the casing, and a receiving portion for the rotary shaft is provided on the installing portion.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a rotation center of the reel and a rotation center of the casing are aligned.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a loosely winding portion to loosely winding a fixed-side electric wire of the electric wire is provided on the reel.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a contact terminal is provided on one of the reel and the casing, an annular circuit conductor for the contact terminal is provided the other of the reel and the casing, a moving-side electric wire is connected to one of the contact terminal and the circuit conductor, and a fixed-side electric wire is connected to the other of the contact terminal and the circuit conductor.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, a sliding door-use power feeding apparatus is characterized in that the electric wire excess length absorbing device set forth in any one of claims 1-5 is pivotably arrange on one of the sliding door and the vehicle body, the electric wire or the moving-side electric wire is arranged on the other of the sliding door and the vehicle body, and the fixed-side electric wire is arranged on the one of the sliding door and the vehicle body.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, based on the sixth aspect, the electric wire excess length absorbing device is laterally arranged, and the electric wire is led out of the electric wire leading-out portion substantially horizontally.
As an eighth aspect of the present invention, an electric wire excess length absorbing device comprises: a casing; a reel pivotably provided in the casing for winding an electric wire; and an energizing member to energize the reel in a direction of winding the electric wire, wherein the casing is provided with an opening portion, being long, enabling the electric wire to be swingably led out thereof.
As a ninth aspect of the present invention, based on the eighth aspect, the opening portion is formed long over a width of the casing long.
As a tenth aspect of the present invention, based on the eighth aspect, an electric wire guide wall, being curved, is formed along an edge of the opening portion.
As an eleventh aspect of the present invention, based on the eighth aspect, the casing is formed long between the reel and the opening portions.
As a twelfth aspect of the present invention, based on the eighth aspect, the opening portion faces a radial direction of the reel, and a reel rotation absorbing portion is positioned adjoining to the reel in an axial direction of the reel.
As a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, based on the twelfth aspect, a loosely winding portion, to loosely wind a fixed-side electric wire continuing from the electric wire, is provided as the reel rotation absorbing portion, and a portion to lead out the fixed-side electric wire is provided on the casing.
As a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, based on the twelfth aspect, a contact terminal is provided on one of the reel and the casing, an annular circuit conductor for the contact terminal is provided the other of the reel and the casing, a moving-side electric wire is connected to one of the contact terminal and the circuit conductor, and a fixed-side electric wire is connected to the other of the contact terminal and the circuit conductor, whereby the reel rotation absorbing portion is constituted.
As a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, a sliding door-use power feeding apparatus is characterized in that the electric wire excess length absorbing device set forth in any one of claims 8-14 is arrange on one of the sliding door and the vehicle body, the electric wire or the moving-side electric wire is arranged on the other of the sliding door and the vehicle body, and the fixed-side electric wire is arranged on the one of the sliding door and the vehicle body.
As a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, based on the fifteenth aspect, the electric wire excess length absorbing device is laterally arranged such that the opening portion of the casing faces one of the vehicle body and the sliding door.
As a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, a sliding door-use power feeding apparatus comprises: an electric wire excess length absorbing device comprises: a casing having an opening portion for leading out an electric wire; a reel pivotably provided in the casing for winding the electric wire; and an energizing member to energize the reel in a direction of winding the electric wire, wherein the electric wire excess length absorbing device is arranged on one of a sliding door and a vehicle body, a moving-side electric wire is arranged on the other of the sliding door and the vehicle body, and a fixed-side electric wire is arranged on the one of the sliding door and the vehicle body.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided.
(1) Since the casing turns when the electric wire is drawn out or wound up, the electric wire is drawn out of the casing almost straightly and wound up almost straightly inside the casing. The drawing and the winding of the electric wire are securely carried out, an excessive bending force and torsional force do not act on the electric wire, thereby elongating the life. The structure is simple and compact, a space saving is attained. Since the winding length of the electric wire can be set long, the device is versatile. Since the electric wire leading-out portion of the casing is narrow, water or dust is not likely to enter the casing.
(2) The casing is pivotable on the installing portion by an engagement of the rotary shaft and the receiving portion. The rotary shaft can easily be formed integrally with the casing by the molding, which reduces the parts cost.
(3) Since the casing turns smoothly, the drawing and the winding of the electric wire can be securely carried out.
(4) Since the loosely wound portion of the electric wire is provided, the reel can smoothly rotate.
(5) Since the contact terminal slides on the circuit conductor, the reel can smoothly rotate.
(6) Since the casing of the electric wire excess length absorbing device turns according to the movement of the electric wire, the electric wire is drawn out of the casing almost straightly and pulled toward the casing almost straightly. Therefore, deformation or breakage of the electric wire is prevented.
(7) Since the electric wire is not bent strongly, the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be carried out more smoothly. The electric wire excess length absorbing device can be easily installed laterally on the vehicle body.
(8) Since the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be done three-dimensionally along the long opening portion of the casing, a slack absorption of the electric wire can be done securely and smoothly. Since the structure is simple and compact, the electric wire excess length absorbing device can be easily installed in a narrow space.
(9) Since the moving or swinging range of the electric wire is widened, the multiusability can be improved.
(10) Since the electric wire can smoothly move or swing along the electric wire guide wall, wear, damage or deformation of the electric wire can be prevented.
(11) Since the position of the electric wire winding portion including the reel can be adjusted, the multiusability of the electric wire excess length absorbing device can be improved.
(12) Since the electric wire drawn out of the reel is directly led to the opening portion, wear of the electric wire can be prevented, and the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be done smoothly.
(13) Since the winding diameter of the loosely wound portion of the fixed-side electric wire is reduced, the reel can smoothly rotate.
(14) Since the contact terminal slides on the circuit conductor, the reel can smoothly rotate.
(15) Since the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be done three-dimensionally along the long opening portion of the casing, a sandwiching of the electric wire between the sliding door and the vehicle body can be securely prevented. Since the compact electric wire excess length absorbing device can be easily securely installed in a narrow space of the sliding door or of the vehicle body, an interference with another structure can be securely prevented.
(16) Since the electric wire is almost horizontally led out from the opening portion of the casing, a torsional force does not act on the electric wire. Therefore, the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be done more smoothly and securely.
(17) Since the drawing or the winding of the electric wire can be done three-dimensionally along the long opening portion of the casing, a slack absorption of the electric wire can be done securely and smoothly. Reliability for the power supply to the auxiliaries can be improved. Since the structure is simple and compact, the electric wire excess length absorbing device can be easily installed in a narrow space. The degree of freedom for layout of structural parts can be improved.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.